Canvas cabin

[Lone Duck]

I am building a wheel house and cabin on a 23' flat bottom wooden hull. I am using 1/4 marine plywood on top which I would like to cover with canvas. Do I tack canvas on and then wet it out with water to shrink it and then paint? Also I would like to canvas the sides with no wood under, just the frame & plastic windows. What is the best way to do that ? All advice is welcome. Thanks

[Thorne]

Welcome to the Forum!

Try the search function for "canvas" and "deck" -- lots of good information on this topic.

[Uncle Duke]

Much smarter people than I will answer this, but let me start this off...
If you want 'canvas', then you need to decide if you want actual canvas or 'canvas look'. Canvas is/was used over surfaces which moved, which is not the case with a plywood deck/top. Plywood is very stable and won't move much if at all. If you want canvas look over plywood, use dynel or fiberglass or something which has the similar dimensional stability to plywood.
Use the 'search' function on this site for those items and you will be exposed to the vast entertainment of opinions about exactly which fabric to use, but the general theme will be to use a fabric which matches the stability of the underlaying surface.
On your question about "canvas the sides with no wood under" - I'm not sure what that mean - can you elaborate?

[Lone Duck]

Much smarter people than I will answer this, but let me start this off...
If you want 'canvas', then you need to decide if you want actual canvas or 'canvas look'. Canvas is/was used over surfaces which moved, which is not the case with a plywood deck/top. Plywood is very stable and won't move much if at all. If you want canvas look over plywood, use dynel or fiberglass or something which has the similar dimensional stability to plywood.
Use the 'search' function on this site for those items and you will be exposed to the vast entertainment of opinions about exactly which fabric to use, but the general theme will be to use a fabric which matches the stability of the underlaying surface.
On your question about "canvas the sides with no wood under" - I'm not sure what that mean - can you elaborate?
I want to build wood frame with wood top with canvas sides over frame want to keep it light.

[paladin]

If you're referring to a canvas dodger, you can buy some little twist cam fasteners that you twist through metal eyelets on the canvas to make it removable...if so you want to make the top half with heavy mesh to let some air in, or clear plastic for light, and then the bottom half of waterproof duck or similar as a spray shield....Sailrite probably has all the stuff that you need..

[Lone Duck]

If you're referring to a canvas dodger, you can buy some little twist cam fasteners that you twist through metal eyelets on the canvas to make it removable...if so you want to make the top half with heavy mesh to let some air in, or clear plastic for light, and then the bottom half of waterproof duck or similar as a spray shield....Sailrite probably has all the stuff that you need..
Thanks for your Idea. What I want is to stretch canvas over frame sides. staple, or tack, glue and paint. Is it possible?